Dissapointing Migas at Panchito's

With it's papel picado banners and tissue flowers it's like walking into Fiesta. With it's homemade tortillas and abundance of sweet tea it's like walking into heaven. Panchito's is a favorite of our family. Located right off McCullough where it meets Hildebrand is this busy bustling eatery. This is where we most frequently dine out of their locations. You can check out their other location on Zarzamora if that is closer to you.

Panchito's Mexican Restaurant
4100 McCullough Ave - (210) 821-5338

This morning I had another Migas taco, this time with no cheese (I can't bear American), and glorious ice cold sweet tea. This morning Panchito's was off their game. Normally their food is nothing less of splendid. The corn tortilla strips were too soggy and overall the taco was under seasoned. The size was less than impressive for the price. The salsa was even suffering, as it was heavy on the tomato flavor and missing bite. The texture was just not optimal. I had high hopes but this taco was a letdown. I'm glad that I requested no cheese. I am afraid that it would have pushed me over the edge and I would have put the taco straight into the trash. The saving grace was the tortilla. Soft, chewy, slightly stretchy and well toasted. They also serve free chips and salsa with lunch and dinner.

Their parking situation is fairly random.. In the mornings their lot is packed and there is only a couple of spaces, if that, and people are parking along the street. The rest of the day is a crapshoot. There are fewer vegetarian options than I would like, but what they do offer is delicious. Sometimes the service is a little slow, but usually it's very much worth the wait. I plan to give tham another shot and hope that someone called off work this morning..

For now I give them 1 1/2 out of 5 tacos.

My favorite breakfast...

Migas (pronounced MEE-GUS) is a Tex-Mex tangle of eggs, bits of corn tortilla, and a host of savory ingredients, from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. Of course, this snob doesn't deal with the meaty bits in my own dish.

Migas is a dish that many professed egg-haters relish, it probably can thank its existence to thrifty cooks looking to use left-over tortillas, since tortillas are an integral part of the dish. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs.

I like to tear up 2 corn tortillas per person eating (3 if they're a good eater) with my hands into small pieces and then I drop them into hot oil (I use canola, a little olive, and a little butter) until they are puffy and fairly crispy. Then turn down the head and plop on some salsa (Ro-Tel tomatoes are also good in this dish)..

Let the salsa soak in. Then pour in the eggs. It is of the utmost importance that you use organic free roaming vegetarian eggs. Anything else tastes like Styrofoam. I use 1 egg per tortilla. You can add sausage, bacon, jalapenos, chorizo, garlic, onions, sour cream, or guacamole if you like. I personally like it with diced bell peppers, diced broccoli, shredded potatoes, and crumbled queso fresco. Be creative! Improvisation is the real joy of cooking, you know.

Dust the dish with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. Serve with piping hot flour tortillas and enjoy!!

Migas with Cheese at The Blanco Cafe

I'll start my first review off with the closest restaurant to my house. I eat there more than is probably healthy, but with tacos a mere block and a half away, it's too tempting to pass up. The restaurant was started over 30 years ago and is a San Antonio favorite. Now with multiple locations around the city and a reputation of greatness, it is a Tacoland staple.

The Blanco Cafe #1
1720 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX - (210) 732-6480

My husband called in the order for our food and in the time it took me to get on some shorts and shoes and drive down the block they were on the counter waiting for me. It never takes more than a few minutes to get our order when we eat here, and it's always pretty busy. This morning there were only two tables that were not occupied.

It should be noted that parking is a bit of a pain. Parking in front is of the parallel variety. Out back there is a gravel lot to fit one row of cars into. There are always cars parked up and down Elsmere. As my son and I made our way up the sidewalk he was chanting "Tacos! Tacos! Tacos!" It's his new favorite word lately.

My favorite waitress got me a huge cup of sweet tea to go with the foil wrapped deliciousness and we went back home. Truth be told, I downed half of it before I got to the car. Two old window unit air conditioners just isn't enough to keep the bustling Blanco cool. Luckily, their sweet tea is so delicious that you don't care that sweat is dripping from your body.

The corn tortilla strips were less crispy than I like. The saltiness of the egg was a perfect match for the subtle spice of the salsa. Their salsa is unique in that it's made with what seems like green chilis and tomato both. It's not too spicy, either. Your mouth simply has a nice warm tingle after you're finished eating. Good flavor, but not the end all be all in the neighborhood. The taco wasn't too greasy, either, which is a bonus for me. As much as I love tacos, I don't like the indigestion that can follow. The Blanco serves reasonably sized tacos for the price. One is enough for me, unless I'm really starving, in which case two leaves me stuffed.

The tortillas are handmade. They were more floury and less soft and chewy than they should be. Unfortunately, their corn tortillas are not made by hand. My main complaint is that they use American cheese on their tacos. American cheese is blasphemous, especially on a taco, so major points are deducted for that. Another great blasphemy in my opinion, no free chips. I have noticed that there are a lot of restaurants now charging for chips. This is an outrage to me, lover of Mexican food. Charge me an extra quarter for my meal and bring on the crisp tasty salty goodness!

Their vegetarian options aren't terrible and there are lots and lots of meat-eating options. They have been voted to have the best enchiladas in the city more than once, but be aware that there is meat in the sauce, even on the cheese variety. You can ask for the cheese sauce (my favorite) or the ranchero sauce instead. The bean and rice taco is also delicious, and I wanted one this morning, but the rice wasn't ready yet at 9:30am.

At under $2 for my taco and almost $2 for my tea, the price was right. The overall flavor and texture of the taco was pleasing. Don't expect wonderful service, though

I give them 2 1/2 out of 5 tacos.